Karaage! Chiiiickennn!

Cooking is always an adventure. It is important that when you choose this profession, you are always learning and experimenting. The alternative is you are serving that “same olde chicken”. I have a proposal for you: let’s hop on the mind-plane for a quick trip to Japan. Introducing a preparation that is to die for~ Karaage chicken. What’s that? Karate chicken? No!!! That’s Ka RAH! gay chicken! What the heck are you talking about there Jason? Quick definition: (Paraphrased from the almighty Wikipedia

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Karaage refers to fried meat, japanese-style. Small pieces of meat are marinated in soy sauce, garlic and ginger. They are then floured in a light flour mixture, then deep fried.

Wait a second there! Don’t the Japanese people eat healthy though? Deep fried meat? How is that healthy? Hey, unlike these guys’ claims to “healthy fast food”, this preparation is okay to eat, if you do it like the Japanese. Eat. In. Small. Amounts. So, here is what I call a good preparation for you to try out:

Karaage Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken thighs, boneless
• 2 pieces green onions, chopped finely
• 45 mL (3 tbsp) light sodium soy sauce
• 30 g (1 1/2 inch piece) ginger, grated
• 15 mL (1 tbsp) sake (or sherry)
• 60 g (1/2 cup) cornstarch
• 60 g (1/2 cup) flour
• Peanut oil for deep frying (veg oil if you do not have peanut oil)

Method:

1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place chicken pieces in a bowl with grated ginger, soy sauce and sake; mix well.
3. Marinate for a minimum of 1/2 hour, and up to about 1 hour (not too long or the salt in the soy sauce will toughen up the chicken.)
4. Heat the oil to about 150°C (300°F.)
5. Mix cornstarch and flour together.
6. Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture; shake off excess.
7. Fry the chicken pieces a few at a time until a deep golden brown.
8. Drain well, and eat with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Tagged as: chicken, deep, fried, karaage